Commercial applications of dry storage technology

This paper briefly reviews the technical and cost aspects of the storage at Gentilly-I of 67 MgU of spent fuel. A similar approach is presently being taken for the dry storage of 300 MgU of Douglas Point Generating Station spent fuel. The fuel will be stored in 47 concrete canisters arranged in an array within a fenced area adjacent to the turbine building. The role of AECL developed expertise and technology is highlighted, including licensing, safety, health physics and project management aspects required for successful project implementation. The paper considers the various alternatives surveyed and the ones retained. Detailed description of canister, canister field, basket, fuel handling operations and basket welding sequences in a shielded station are covered. The equipment cost, schedule and total project costs are reviewed. The characteristics and projected costs of a canister program at an operating site for a canister similar to Gentilly-I and Douglas Point and for another scenario involving a slightly larger canister are also given. Potential future advances in canister technology are also described, which all have the potential to further decrease dry storage cost